Rossini: Armida - ROF(2014)

Rossini: Armida - ROF Synopsis

Gioachino Rossini’s Armida (1817) is a spectacular but relatively rarely performed opera seria, based on Tasso’s Gerusalemme liberata: the sorceress Armida seduces the crusader Rinaldo, creating a conflict between love and military/religious duty. The 2014 Rossini Opera Festival production in Pesaro was directed by Luca Ronconi, with Carlo Rizzi conducting. It featured Carmen Romeu as Armida and John Osborn as Rinaldo, with a notably demanding vocal cast. Ronconi’s staging emphasized the opera’s dreamlike, magical and theatrical dimension rather than treating it as straightforward medieval epic. It was particularly notable for showcasing Rossini’s extreme vocal virtuosity and elaborate ensembles, including the famous Act II finale and the spectacular series of transformations surrounding Armida’s magic.

Rossini: Armida - ROF (2014) is a music film directed by Carlo Rizzi, released on August 10, 2014 with a runtime of 2h 50m. It stars Randall Bills, Antonino Siragusa, Carlo Lepore and Carmen Romeu.